The present invention relates to a machine for preparing and dispensing ice cream shop products.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a machine for preparing artisan ice creams and the like, of the type with a horizontal whipping and freezing unit.
As is known, a machine of this type comprises a substantially box-shaped frame housing a whipping and freezing chamber with a horizontal axis.
The whipping and freezing chamber, or whipping and freezing unit, is designed to mix, cool and blend together a plurality of ingredients to form a cream for ice cream, a crushed-ice drink or similar products.
The ingredients are inserted in the whipping and freezing chamber through a respective inlet in fluid communication with the whipping and freezing chamber.
The ice cream produced is made available through a respective whipping and freezing chamber outlet.
The outlet is usually fitted with a grille which facilitates detachment of the ice cream and prevents the mass coming out from agglomerating.
These machines are structured to pour the product directly into collecting tubs to be displayed in ice cream shop counters or to be preserved in a refrigerator.
There are prior art machines for producing ice cream which involve establishing an overpressure in the whipping and freezing chamber to improve the incorporation of air by the product being prepared.
These machines, referred to as pressurized, because of their structural and functional features, make it difficult to introduce solid bodies, such as cereals, pieces of fruit or dried fruits into the product being whipped and frozen.
Moreover, these solid bodies cannot be introduced at the same time as the whipping and freezing unit is initially filled, but instead must be introduced when the whipping and freezing process is at an advanced stage, that is to say, when the product being prepared has reached a predetermined consistency, as otherwise they would easily be exposed to impacts with the mixing means which would break them into pieces. However, in this case the pressurized whipping and freezing chamber would have to be opened, with obvious risks of unwanted discharges of material.
Therefore, the prior art machines are not without disadvantages, in particular as regards the preparation of ice creams comprising solid bodies such as cereals, pieces of fruit or dried fruits.